


Three is Better Than One

by huff_le_puff



Series: Harry Potter One Shots [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Caretaking, Family Fluff, Fights, Multi, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Supportive Hermione Granger, Supportive Ron Weasley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 21:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17947058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huff_le_puff/pseuds/huff_le_puff
Summary: Ron, Hermione, and Harry were always meant to be the trio, and always would be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning:  
> Words: 350

Harry was cooking dinner while Rose and Hugo sat at the table, doing their homework with Hermione. Ron was due to be home from the shop any minute, and was sure to love the meatloaf Harry had made.

 

Harry was humming to himself, proud of his dish, when he heard Hermione coo, "Aww!"

 

He turned around, and raised a brow at her inquisitively.

 

She only waved him towards her, where nine year old Hugo was blushing. "Mum--"

 

"It's sweet Hugo!" she said, taking hold of Harry's hand. "Look at this last line."

 

Harry read aloud, "Some kids don't even have one parent that cares about them. I have three, I'm pretty lucky. -- Hugo James Granger"

 

"Hugo, that's really sweet. I love it."

 

"Well, how else was I to end it? I had to write a paper about family and I figured--"

 

The door slowly opened, and Hermione told Ron to come over. "I've only just gotten home, can't I get some--"

 

"Read it, Ronald." Hermione demanded.

 

Rose giggled. "Daddy's whipped."

 

Ron gawked at his daughter. "Rosie, where did you hear that?"

 

"I said I wouldn't tell!"

 

"But it's Daddy, you can tell Daddy."

 

Harry chuckled, and Ron swatted at him playfully.

 

"I heard Uncle Georgie and Papa yesterday, and Uncle Georgie said you're both whipped." Rose said excitedly.

 

Ron looked at Harry. "Is that so, 'Papa'?"

 

Harry made his way back to the stove. "It is, 'Daddy'."

 

Hermione pulled Ron to her. "Your son is being cute. He wrote about us for school."

 

Ron's arms wrapped around Hermione's neck loosely. "Ah, that's sweet, Hugo."

 

Hugo -- having trouble being nine and cute -- groaned. "I'm not cute!"

 

Harry shrugged, moving the homework with a flick of his wand. "Oh, but you are." He bopped his nose, setting down a steaming dish.

 

Hermione told the kids to wash their hands, and the three once friends hugged -- maybe they kissed too, you'll never know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:  
> Words: 680

Hermione sat in the kitchen of the house she, Ron, and Harry had once shared. She sighed, picking at her food.

 

  "What's wrong Love?" Ron asked, eating his own dinner.

 

  "I miss him, Ron." She whispered.

 

They tried to avoid the subject of their best friend-slash-lover usually.

 

Ron took her hand in his. "Hey, hey. Don't worry, they'll find him. Kingsley's looking for him constantly."

 

She scoffed. "He's been gone for five years Ron. He's not coming back."

 

Ron was silent. He was always silent when Harry was brought up.

 

Finally, he spoke, so soft, it gave Hermione goosebumps. "Why'd he leave us?"

 

She sniffled. "I don't know, for once."

 

Harry and they had been living in this house -- his cologne and other things was to this day untouched, how he'd left it -- and one night he was gone. All left of him was a note telling him he loved them, and a few of his shirts. He had taken his wand and Invisibility Cloak.

 

Ron looked towards the window, as was tradition now. He never left a room without checking for Kingsley's owl.

 

This time, instead of a curse word and disappointed slouch, Ron jumped up, accidently jostling the table.

  "Ron--?" Hermione asked.

 

  "Owl! A Ministry owl!" Ron gasped, fumbling with the window.

 

Hermione stayed where she was, refusing to believe it.

 

The owl flew through the window, and perched on the table. Ron hurriedly took the letter, and read it with shaky hands.  

  "He's alive"

 

Hermione took it from him to read it herself.

 

  "Ron," she said, aware he hadn't moved.

 

Ron hugged her suddenly. "He's alive, Hermione. He's alive!"

 

  "He is, and I'm going to kill him as soon as I hug him."

 

Ron chuckled against her hair.

 

 

The next day, there was a knock at their door.

 

Ron shouted, "Coming!"

 

Upon opening the door, he saw a black haired, green eyed man. "Get your arse in here, Harry."

 

Harry looked at him warily. When was he going to yell?

 

"Hermione, Harry's here!"

 

There was a squeak from the bedroom, and Hermione was hurtling into Harry, who still stood at the door.

 

As soon as she let go, she shoved him angrily, though she was smiling tearfully. "Why did you leave?"

 

He sighed, and gnawed on his bottom lip. "I..."

 

Ron gruffly told him to sit. "This is still your home, you know. Least sit."

 

Harry nodded, and sat on the sofa. "I love you both, I never stopped."

 

"You don't leave people if you love them." Hermione disagreed. "What could we have possibly done?"

 

"Nothing!" Harry promised. "I guess I should start by telling you where I went. I left the country."

 

"What?" Ron exclaimed.

 

Harry nodded. "Um, yeah. I went to America for a couple years. I was trying to...to forget, I guess."

 

"Forget us?" Hermione asked softly.

 

Harry shook his head, and took her hand hesitantly. "Never. But I couldn't be here. And I thought if I just, left, it would be easier on us all. So we wouldn't have to say goodbye, and you two could live the lives you're meant to. Together."

 

"Harry, I lo--" Ron swallowed. "You can't just up and leave."

 

Harry didn't miss the slip. "I know, but you two were meant--"

 

"You're part of us, whether you like it or not. We want you to be with us. We'll always be a trio." Hermione said.

 

Harry watched them, and softly asked. "Are you willing to take me back?"

 

Ron let out a laugh. "We've been waiting for you to come back for five bloody years! You really think we'd have waited if we weren't? We adore you, Harry, but you're an idiot."

 

Hermione shook her head. "You look tired. What have you been up to?"

 

"A lot," Harry told her. "I'm kind of tired, mind if I?"

 

Ron pulled him up, and showed him to their room. "Get comfortable Mate, we're not letting you out of our sight again."

 

As Harry started to fall asleep again, he felt a kiss on either side of his head, and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Hermione are fighting, an Harry has a bit of a panic attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: panic attack, sensory overload, fighting  
> Words: 750

Harry felt like clamping his hands over his ears. All he could hear - besides the voices of Ron and Hermione screaming - was static. The static was steadily getting louder and everything was too much. The dripping of the sink, the slamming of Ron's hand on the table, Hermione's shrill voice...

  "I need it to stop..." Harry mumbled. 

Everything felt like it was too much. Just too much, it needed to stop. He couldn't breathe. 

Harry suddenly stood, unaware of the noise his chair made falling to the floor. His hands clasp to the sides of his face and he slowly begins backing out of the kitchen. 

Hermione is the first to notice, as was usual with Harry. "Harry, are you all right?"

Harry can barely hear her over the static and he shakes his head. 

Ron, as thick as he is, notices it too. "Mate?"

Harry can't do more than say, "Make it stop."

  "What, Harry? What do you want to stop, love?" Hermione is holding his wrist but he can barely feel it. 

Harry shakes his head, and Ron is standing too. "Mate, sit down. Everything's fine."

Harry shakes his head again and holds tight to Hermione's hand. "Loud. It's too loud, 'Mione! Make it stop!"

She makes a split second decision and pulls him into a tight hug. 

At first he struggles, but finally goes limp, his hands coming away from his face. 

  "Better? Is it quieter?" Hermione whispers, and her hands are rubbing at his back and in his hair and Harry could fall asleep right there. 

He nods, because falling asleep in the middle of their kitchen in Hermione's arms wouldn't be convenient. 

She nods back. "We're going to get you on the sofa, okay? Ron's going to help me lift you and you'll lay down on the sofa, alright?"

Harry nods, and they gently lay him on their (ugly, in Ron's opinion) grey sofa. 

Hermione approaches him with an old quilt. "Here, I'll put this quilt on you, okay?"

Harry shakes his head. "Too heavy. It's too much."

She nods, although her brow creases in confusion. "Okay, that's okay. Can you try to sleep for me? I'll put the radio on and you can take a nice little nap. How does that sound?"

Harry nods, even though the radio is the last thing he wants, and with a flick of her wrist Elvis Presley is singing. 

As they watch their best friend sleep, Ron sits next to Hermione and whispers, "What the hell was that?"

Hermione frowns. "Not sure. I'm thinking a panic attack, maybe sensory overload."

At his blank look, she sighs. "You know what a panic attack is. Sensory overload is basically where your senses are all feeling too much at once, the brain can't process it. It's been awhile since I read about it, but I'm pretty sure that's right. It's pretty common in people with PTSD and a few other diagnoses."

Ron nodded, though he still didn't understand. It was easier sometimes to pretend you understood. "So why did that happen? Is he all right?"

  "He should be. As for your first question, I don't know. We have to look at the situation carefully. What was happening when his episode or whatever started?"

Ron shrugged. "I dunno. We were eating and then talking about the Ministry, Teddy, we started arguing, then he stood up."

Hermione sighed. "Eating, talking, episode. Eating, talking, episode...What were we talking about? Maybe something we said triggered him."

Ron shrugged. "I don't log our conversations, do I?" At her look he quickly continued, "Er, I mean. I was talking about the Auror department with Harry. He seemed fine, saying how Robards is an idiot - and he is!"

  "Next?"

  "Uh, you said something about house elf rights. Spew."

  "It's S. P. E. W. Ronald! Besides the point. What else?"

  "Teddy. No way that could have caused anything."

  "Maybe he thought of Professor Lupin? The war?"

Ron shook his head. "He was still good at that point."

Hermione shook her head. "We were arguing! What were we arguing about? Ron!"

He shrugged helplessly. "Um, um, me! You were saying something about me being too slobby, then I said something about-"

Hermione nodded. "About how I should focus more on my life than yours. Then I think you said something about how we haven't had sex lately..."

  "Why would our sex life be triggering to Harry?"

Harry suddenly sighed. "Yelling."

Hermione bolted up. "Oh, Harry, how are you feeling? I'll get you some water, you look awfully pale."

Ron shrugged. "Women."


End file.
